Article co-created by Bryn Coles, Head of Solutions at Maximus and Sarah‑Jane Graham, NHS 111 and IUC Adviser to Maximus UK.
The NHS 10-Year Plan sets out a bold shift towards a more connected, prevention-focused, digitally enabled health and care system that powers proactive, localised, data informed and patient-centred journeys. Central to this vision is the shift from analogue to digital – giving patients greater control over their care, enabling 24/7 access, reducing administrative burden, improving data-driven care and freeing up clinicians to focus on delivering patient care.
At the heart of this transformation is NHS 111 and Integrated Urgent Care (IUC) the front door to Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) system. Handling millions of clinical decisions every year, NHS 111 is uniquely positioned to turn digital ambition into practical, system-wide impact. The opportunity is clear: use technology not as an end in itself, but as an enabler of service provision optimisation, driving deeper more collaborative provider integrations, delivering equitable access, enabling confident clinical decision-making and empowering patients to manage their own care and conditions as appropriate.
Connecting systems to coordinate care
Digitally connecting NHS 111 technical systems to those of other local Health and Social Care providers offers significant benefits for both patients and the Integrated Care Systems (ICS) primarily through improved care coordination, enhanced patient safety and increased operational efficiency. This strengthened integration between NHS 111 and IUC and ICS providers allows services to move beyond basic signposting towards enabling personalised, locally coordinated urgent care responses.
Integrating patient management systems allows NHS 111 providers to book appointments directly, share information in real time, and make seamless referrals supported by comprehensive care plans. This approach reduces duplication, improves continuity, and ensures patients receive the right care, in the right place, first time.
With inclusive design at its core, integration reduces stress for patients and clinicians alike. Technology becomes a practical enabler – supporting equity, improving experiences, and delivering truly coordinated care across system and provider boundaries.
Designing interoperability into digital infrastructure
Increasing care connectivity requires secure and seamless data exchange across care boundaries. NHS 111 providers can set the standard by ensuring their deployed systems are built and designed to be interoperable by default.
National initiatives such as the National Care Records Service (NCRS), which hosts over 63 million patient records and integrates data including Summary Care Records, are already transforming access to information and enabling more informed clinical decisions. Alongside, locally developed shared health and care record platforms such as the London Care Record are saving clinicians hundreds of thousands of hours each month. By reducing administrative burden and releasing clinical capacity across health and care settings, these platforms provide professionals with quicker access to the information they need while freeing frontline staff to spend more time with patients.
Together, these digital platforms enable NHS 111 Clinical Advisors and Clinical Assessment Service (CAS) clinicians to access comprehensive patient histories at the point of decision-making, supporting safer, faster, and more coordinated care when it matters most.
Interoperability also promotes inclusion and trust. Secure record-sharing removes the burden on patients to upload or manage their own information – particularly benefiting those with limited digital skills. By reducing repetition and friction, interoperable systems help ensure equitable access and encourage sustained engagement with digital services.
Building confidence through digital literacy
Digital tools can significantly expand access and improve efficiency, but without inclusive design, they risk creating a two-tier system that leaves millions behind. Over 11 million adults in the UK lack basic digital skills, and around 5 million have never used the internet. Without deliberate action, digital-first healthcare could deepen existing health inequalities.
NHS 111 providers can prevent digital exclusion by making locally tailored and delivered co-production a core service design principle. This starts with understanding local communities residing within the ICS and engaging them through proactive community outreach, digital literacy programmes, and practical demonstrations, which demystify technology and build confidence. Sharing success stories, such as patients confidently navigating NHS 111 online, accessing self-care literature or familiarisation with AI triage tools, helps build trust and empowers communities to embrace change.
However, digital support alone is not sufficient. Maintaining alternative access routes, including telephone triage remains essential to ensure no one is excluded from care.
Empowering the workforce through technology and trust
Co-design is essential not only for patients but also for clinical teams. Trust is the cornerstone of successful digital transformation, yet clinicians are understandably cautious – concerned that technology could undermine clinical judgment, compromise outcomes, or add unnecessary complexity. While tools such as AI-driven triage have the potential to transform urgent care, their success depends on earning and sustaining that trust.
For NHS 111 providers, this means positioning technology as a true workforce enabler – supporting professional judgment rather than replacing it. Trust can be strengthened through transparent safety data, structured training, and continuous feedback loops that give clinicians a meaningful role in shaping how digital tools are deployed and utilised. When integrated thoughtfully, these solutions can streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and enhance decision-making – all while safeguarding care quality.
Ultimately, keeping clinicians at the centre of patient care and equipping them with technology that amplifies their expertise is key. By fostering collaboration and confidence, NHS 111 providers can create a future where digital innovation empowers the workforce, improves efficiency, and delivers better outcomes for patients.
Transforming digital ambition into inclusive reality
The NHS 10‑Year Plan calls for services that are connected, inclusive, and digitally enabled. NHS 111 can drive this transformation—not by adding technology for its own sake, but by using it as a catalyst to deliver patient‑centred, equitable, integrated, efficient, and sustainable care.
Success depends on designing services that work for everyone, building interoperability into every system, and empowering clinicians with tools that enhance rather than replace their expertise. These commitments ensure care is faster, safer, fairer and “Fit for the Future”
The challenge is no longer whether technology can transform care – it already does. The real challenge is to deliver digital solutions that connect systems, close gaps, create opportunities to deliver better patient outcomes, reduce inefficiencies and build confidence for patients and professionals alike. When NHS 111 providers meet this challenge, they can lead the way in delivering care closer to home, reducing pressure on hospitals, and shaping a future where digital innovation serves people – not the other way around.
How Maximus UK enables this transformation
Healthcare is evolving rapidly as the NHS 10-Year Plan sets out a vision for a connected, equitable, and digitally enabled system. At Maximus UK, we are building the foundations to support this transformation through clinical expertise and digital innovation. By using data from every interaction, we aim to help services adapt and improve continuously. As technology advances, we work collaboratively to test, refine, and prepare solutions that will enhance decision-making and improve the service user experience.
Our Clinical Governance Framework and commitment to continuous professional development ensure every interaction meets the highest standards of safety and quality, while equipping clinicians to use digital tools confidently. With 24/7 omnichannel access, including phone, video, and digital self-service, we are developing approaches that make care accessible, flexible, and inclusive, while maintaining alternative pathways for those with limited digital confidence.
We have the capability to deliver AI-driven triage, robust clinical infrastructure, and system-wide integration to streamline workflows, reduce hospital pressure, and bring care closer to home. Our AI solutions are designed to support Health Advisors and Clinical Advisors by surfacing relevant data and enabling evidence-based decision-making. Combined with real-time interoperability, these capabilities will enable faster, safer, and more accurate clinical decisions – improving efficiency and continuity of care.
Together with commissioning partners, we are committed to embedding inclusivity and trust into every stage of design and delivery – helping to create a health system that is connected, equitable, and truly patient-centred.
Learn more about our Integrated Urgent Care services.
